Bless the Broken Road
by Kinomiya
Summary: Kai is tortured by the pain of being betrayed. Heartbroken and alone, he accepts the invitation to become captain of the Blade Breakers. Can his heart be mended? One-Shot. Ka/Re. R/R please.


**Disclaimer:** I do not own Beyblade or its characters. I also do not own the song Bless the Broken Road.

**Warning:** My first ever warning in a story xD o0o. There is adult content in this! Please do not read if easily offended by mature scenes. Oh, and it's yaoi, obviously. And the scenes aren't THAT mature really, so you should be fine.

**Summary: **Kai is tortured by the pain of being betrayed. Heartbroken and alone, he accepts the invitation to become captain of the BB's. Can his heart be mended? One-Shot. Ka/Re. R/R please.

**Pairing:** It literally _pains_ me to say this, but half of it is Kai/Tala, O_O. But by the end it'll be **Kai/Ray.**

**A/N-** Hey! So this was originally for the Second Renaissance competition, but I didn't end up finishing it on time, but since I had written so much of it I figured I should finish and post it regardless :)

For those of you who follow my other work, I'm sorry I haven't updated ANYTHING, this has literally been the busiest summer of my life, and since I barely remember what is going on in my current story, it's hard to get motivation to sit down and write. But the fact that I was able to finish this could be a good sign for my other work!

I want to dedicate this to **Quarry** since it was originally for her competition, and I miss her!

Now on with the story! :) please R/R! thanks

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_**I set out on a narrow way, many years ago  
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road  
But I got lost a time or two**_

_**Wiped my brow and kept pushing through**_

I could feel my chest swelling with happiness with each step that I took closer to the home of the man I loved. I felt the grin spread across my face as I thought of that fiery red hair that I loved to tangle my fingers within and that flawless pale skin that I loved to leave love bites on. I had never been happier than at this very moment. I was finally going to tell Tala that I was in love with him. Yes, me, me, Kai Hiwatari. I had finally found the one and only person I would ever let get close to me. The only person I knew who could warm my heart in such a way.

He had told me a few days before that he loved me, and I didn't know how to react. Sure we had been together for almost a year, but love? I didn't know that either myself or Tala were even capable of such an emotion. We were so compatible, so similar. We had been raised together in the Abbey, both being put through hell each and every day, and yet we always managed to find comfort in each other. I would crawl into his arms after an intense beating, and it was like the entire world disappeared, leaving nothing but myself and the boy I would one day need more than I needed air.

I was finally ready to tell him that I returned his feelings. I had told him that I needed a few days to myself just to think and be on my own, and he had been fine with that. I feel like a fool now that I've realized I love him back and that there's nothing to be scared about. Originally I thought that I would spend those few days alone thinking up ways in which I should break up with him, but it turned into me realizing that I couldn't even imagine a life without him.

I quietly climbed my way to the balcony, the outline of my body barely visible to any onlookers taking a midnight stroll. I reached the glass doors and was about to knock on the window of my love's bedroom, but the sight stopped me dead in my tracks.

Two pale bodies, panting and covered in sweat. Hands touching places I faintly registered they shouldn't be touching. Large fingers buried deep inside a sea of red hair while pink lips traced light kisses along my lover's body. I couldn't hear them, but the gasp of pleasure that came out of Tala's mouth was louder than anything I had ever heard. I wanted to turn and run, but my body wouldn't move, I wasn't even sure if this was real.

It couldn't be real, could it? I had never known betrayal of this sort. I might not have liked the way my grandfather and Boris raised me, but I listened to them and took in everything they had taught me. I never opened up to anybody, I never showed any sort of emotion or affection. I didn't let anybody get within a ten mile radius of my heart. So how could it be that the one boy in the entire world, who would understand that, was the same boy who was currently shattering every piece of my dull beating organ that still existed? I could feel every pound echoing in my ears, and I knew it was about to explode at any moment. My chest, which had not long ago been filled with complete happiness, was home to what would be my death. This pain wasn't natural, I could feel my stomach twisting in knots as the lavender haired man took my love into his mouth, causing a reaction I thought only I could provoke. Tala's hands were clinging to the sheets like his life depended on it as he arched his back, gasping and groaning.

I stumbled backwards, snapping out of my daze when my back collided against the railing of his balcony. I climbed down as fast as I could, and ran. I didn't know where I was running, and I didn't know why, but I knew it wasn't helping. I picked up speed, hoping if I ran fast enough I could outrun what I had just seen. I wanted to leave it behind where I had witnessed it, tangled within the sheets of the secret lovers.

I had always heard people say that 16 was too young to know love or passion, but they were wrong. I was more in love with Tala than any 'grown-up' would ever be with anyone. He was my life, I _needed_ him. I could feel a vice like grip constricting my heart as I began to hyperventilate. I gladly welcomed the darkness as it overtook me, not waking up until the next day, where I found myself in a hospital bed with a pudgy little man as my sole visitor. I listened to his proposition of leading his new and upcoming Beyblade team and I eagerly agreed, knowing that I would never be returning to my grandfathers clutches. Voltaire and Boris had both tried to crush me, but it was the red head who had succeeded, and I would never be able to handle seeing him again.

Steeling my heart and hardening my features, I shook hands with the happy man, agreeing to meet with him at a future time and date.

_**I couldn't see how every sign, pointed straight to you**_

Kai and Ray always roomed together, it was just the rule of travelling. Kai couldn't stand to be anywhere near Tyson, and Max was just too hyper for him to handle. It didn't hurt that Ray _listened_ to him. The raven haired boy was always there for him, never pushing him or questioning him.

It was a moment like now when Kai really needed him the most. He had spent the last year with the team, getting to know Ray better and better, but he still had his secrets. However, tonight was a no barrier night. Kai had let the mask slip for one evening, and he cried in Ray's arms.

_**Every long lost dream led me to where you are  
Other's who broke my heart, they were like northern stars  
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms**_

8 hours had passed since they had been named Blading Champions of the World. 8 hours had passed since he had been sitting across the room from the fiery red head who broke his heart. 9 hours had passed since he had been sitting in a room with the four Demolition Boys, listening to them plan how they would capture the next teams bitbeasts. 8.5 hours had passed since he had smartened up and went crawling back to his team, because he couldn't handle the subtle way Tala had touched Bryan's shoulder or noticing when the lavender haired man closed his eyes in an attempt to keep himself under control. He had ran back to his team as fast as he could.

8 hours ago, he experienced the second worst feeling in his life. His heart was ripped open all over again and it was like the last year had never existed. He could feel the pain as fresh as if it had just happened. He had thought he was finally healing, and that he had managed to block whatever part of him still cared, but clearly he hadn't accomplished anything. He was still just the same fool he had been a year ago. Apparently a birthday or two didn't bring anything with them other than a new number.

He cried for what felt like hours, telling Ray about what had happened. He knew the Neko had been shocked, sure they were 'close', but Kai still didn't show his emotions to him, other than a rare smile. He treated Ray a little better than the others, and tried to do nice things for the boy, but he didn't let him get close.

Kai listened as Ray whispered soothing words into his ear, rocking him back and forth. The Chinese boy could tell that his captain was being tortured by this unforgettable pain that he felt. He knew that Tala was a bastard, but he hadn't realized what the boy had actually put Kai through. He understood now why Kai had been so tense throughout the entire tournament. He didn't blame the usually prideful boy, how could he? Anyone who had went through that type of thing would have been torn apart, and the fact that Kai had never talked to anyone about it, just amplified the situation.

He continued to rock the boy back and forth, rubbing circles on his captains back well into the wee hours of the morning. Even after he was sure that Kai had fallen asleep, he noticed that the tears didn't stop coming. He wasn't sure if Kai had cried since the incident, but he knew the boy needed to let this all out before he could ever dream of moving on.

_**But I got lost a time or two  
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through **_

Another year had passed, and the Bladebreakers continued to travel together. Kai and Ray had become fast friends, and Kai was slowly opening up to the rest of the team as well. He still didn't give many smiles, and they rarely got any response out of him other than "hn", but they could all feel a change within the way he acted around them.

His hate relationship with Tyson was quickly turning into something of a hate-love one. They were constantly fighting, but Ray noticed that Kai always had a tiny smile on his face after every encounter. Max and Diachi were always teasing them, saying they acted like a married couple, but they'd just wave it off. Kai would glare at the two younger boys, willing death upon them, and Tyson would just claim that he wasn't gay.

After a while though, Kai's denials seemed only half hearted and he would have a faint blush on his cheeks. Nobody else seemed to pick up on any of the changes in Kai, but Ray was always very aware of what Kai was feeling now that the older boy openly talked with him during their nights as roommates.

He wasn't sure what he should do. He was so happy that Kai was finally moving on from Tala and what the asshole had done to him, but he wasn't sure how to tell Kai that he was wasting his time. Tyson was completely obsessed with Hilary, and would give anything to be with her. His situation with her, was similar to Kai's situation with him. Tyson and Hilary fought so much that it had turned from hate to love quickly for the blue haired boy, in similar fashion that it had turned to 'love' for Kai.

Deciding that he needed to do what he knew was best, he got up from his bed and approached Kai's. The older boy wasn't there yet, but he knew he was about to pass out, and Kai would wake him when he entered the room, knowing he needed to talk.

He was right – an hour later Kai entered his shared bedroom to find Ray asleep on his bed. _'I wonder what he wants that couldn't wait until tomorrow?'_ he asked himself. He and Ray had worked out that whenever one of them really needed to talk, they would wait for the other on their bed, that way if they fell asleep, the other would know that they _really_ needed to talk. It had always been Kai waiting for Ray though, since he seemed to be the only one with problems.

He gently sat on his bed, shaking Ray lightly until the boy began to stir. "Kai?" he heard the groggy voice question. He nodded his head and waited for Ray to fully wake up. A startled noise emitted from his throat as the Chinese boy suddenly jumped up with a start, almost knocking him off the bed.

Ray calmed down and looked at Kai with sad eyes, unsure on how he should begin.

"Are you going to spit it out anytime soon?" Kai asked, irritated with Ray pussy-footing around the subject.

Ray couldn't hold it in any longer, and finally let it all out, spilling everything he knew about Tyson's feelings for the temperamental brunette. Kai sat there and listened the whole time, and then the tears came. Not because of Tyson, no, Tyson had not had that great of a hold on his heart. They came because his mind instantly went back to Tala. He had finally found someone who made the hole in his heart feel like it wouldn't be there forever, but now he was certain that it would be. Even when he was finding out bad news about the new person he liked, he could still only think about his past with the redhead, nobody would ever be able to take this pain away from him.

It still stung every day when he saw something that reminded him of his old flame. Every night when he closed his eyes, he could see brilliant teal ones staring back at him. He always dreamed of fiery red hair and the times when they would fall into bed, laughing and smiling with each other. The dreams never lasted though, they quickly turned to nightmares as his body was replaced with the broad shouldered, lavender haired boy he, at one time, had called his friend.

6 months had passed and the hole in Kai's heart was still a dull throb. He and Tyson were back to their regular routine of fighting and acting like idiots. The slate haired boy didn't seem to take the news about Tyson's feelings for Hilary all that bad. He had a short breakdown, in which he later confessed was due to his thoughts about Tala, but other than that, he had seemed to get over it quick.

_**I think about the years I spent, just passing through  
I'd like to have the time I lost, and give it back to you**_

_Change POV_

It's been two and a half years since I experienced the worst day of my life, and I'm finally beginning to believe that life without Tala will be okay. I have my team to thank for that, even if they don't know it. Tyson, Max and Kenny don't have a clue what happened between Tala and I, and I don't want them to know, but the way they've forced their friendship on me has really changed my life.

Tala made his way into my heart and completely tore it apart, causing me to try and be everything my grandfather wanted me to be; a cold, heartless weapon who didn't care about anyone or anything. But this team of brats have also made their way into my heart, and they did it without me even noticing.

Max is always so hyper and full of energy that I can't help but want to smile just so he doesn't lose his love of life. I would give anything to have grown up normal and to have lived a life like him, full of friendship and love. But I didn't, and the least I could do is give something back to him to make sure he stays happy. I've tried smiling lately whenever he's around, and I know he was shocked at first, but the smile that spread across his face was definitely worth the forced smile. It was pretty obvious to both of us that my smile was fake, but it was the effort that counted, and I'm glad I was able to be the reason for his smile, if only for a moment.

Kenny has really earned my respect. I know that I've treated him badly, and I should probably apologize, but I'm not at the stage of apologies just yet. He's this short little shy guy, and everything seems to scare him, especially me and my glare. I was constantly taking advantage of the young boy, getting him to do what I wanted out of fear. And yet he always stood by me. I've heard him stick up for me to the rest of the team multiple times, and whenever I wanted to be alone he was always the first to try and stop Tyson from barging in on me. He's always helped me improve Dranzer and given me the best advice he could think of when it came to how I should go about a match. I think I owe him my friendship, and I'm working on it. I know they talk behind my back about how I'm getting softer and how they _know_ I think of them as friends, but it would be a step

_Change POV_

Tyson was a whole different story. He was loud, obnoxious and was constantly getting on Kai's nerves, but the older boy couldn't help but hold a soft spot for him. The knucklehead was the first person to touch Kai's heart since that devastating day, and Kai couldn't be more grateful. Tyson didn't know what he had done for his captain, but it was something Kai would never forget. He would always respect the boy for helping him to almost heal the hole in his heart, even if only for a short while. And even more than that, he had proven to Kai that there was in fact life after love, and that he would one day be able to feel normal again.

Ray was also a big help in that last department. The Chinese boy had been there for him through everything. He wasn't much nicer to the boy in front of the others than he had been before, but they all knew he respected Ray far more than he respected anyone else. Their talks were less frequent now that they were in a permanent residence, waiting for the next tournament and had their own rooms, but they still found time. When it was just the two of them he felt almost _whole,_ and he loved that feeling. All of the broken pieces that Tala had left behind were being picked up by Ray.

Ray was his best friend, something he thought he could never have again. He trusted the boy more than he thought possible, almost as much as he had trusted Tala. The knowledge that he considered Ray his best friend further proved that he would one day heal. He had already had trust issues before him and Tala got together, but his faith in people had been completely shattered on that fateful day.

He knew it was dangerous to trust someone again on this level, but he couldn't help being drawn to Ray. They rarely ever talked about Tala anymore, but even when they did, Kai didn't feel the intense pain that used to come along with it. Just being in Ray's presence made the ache disappear; and he _craved_ that. He felt addicted to Ray, borderline obsessed even. He hated the pain that came with thinking of Tala, and almost literally _needed_ Ray. They didn't have to be talking, or interacting in any way, but he needed to have the boy in his line of vision.

_**Every long lost dream led me to where you are  
Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars**_

More months passed, and Ray entered into a relationship with Mariah. He had come to Kai and told him that he felt pressured to date her, and asked what the slate haired boy thought he should do. Kai encouraged the relationship, telling Ray that he deserved someone to make him happy.

It was obvious that Ray felt uncomfortable in his and Mariah's partnership, but nobody could say he wasn't trying. They were inseparable. It felt like the pink haired beauty was by Ray's side every minute of the day – from morning training to when it was time to go to bed. They did many things together throughout the day, and had sleep overs quite often.

Kai couldn't help but notice that Ray seemed to be waking up in the middle of the night a lot more often than normal. The boy was usually so stealthy when he would go to the kitchen for a midnight snack, or go to the living room to watch some tv if he was having difficulty falling asleep. But lately, Ray was clumsy and uncoordinated, tripping over many things as he made his way out of his room. He didn't seem to be getting very much sleep now a days, even though there was always silence from his room.

The Chinese boy's eyes no longer lit up the way they used to, the way that made Kai feel _whole._ He seemed to be going through the motions of living, rather than actually being present for his daily activities. He stared off into space a lot more often as well, Kai noticed that he would sometimes get a dreamy look on his face before it quickly turned into a frown, and he couldn't help but wonder what was going through that raven locked head of his.

It only took a few weeks before Mariah stopped coming around as often, although, they still hung out a lot. It seemed that even she had noticed the far off look that adorned Ray's features most of the time. She had wanted this relationship her entire life, but was it everything she had ever wanted? Kai didn't know, but he supposed she was trying to give their love a chance by not suffocating it.

_**You just smile and take my hand  
You've been there, you understand  
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true**_

The day Mariah broke up with Ray was surprisingly calm. Ray had smiled and hugged her sadly, telling her he hoped every happiness for her and told her that she deserved the world – and he was sorry he couldn't give it to her. The Bladebreakers didn't understand his reaction, they had expected a little more emotion from the usually calm blader, but that might have been too much to ask for from the ever polite Raymond Kon.

Kai entered and closed the door to his room, only to find said polite boy sitting on his bed, tear streaks staining his cheeks.

The puffy eyed boy got up off of the bed and walked to Kai, forcing the older boys back against the door as he fell into his arms for a much needed hug. Kai was confused but returned the hug as tears continued to flow from amber eyes. Was this Ray's way of expressing the pain he felt from the loss of Mariah? It physically pained Kai to see Ray hurting this way, and he wished that there was something he could do to take it all away. The Russian pushed himself off the wall, and with Ray still in his embrace, guided them both towards his bed where they sat down. Ray continued to silently cry into Kai's shoulder as the older of the two sat in silence, patiently waiting for some type of explanation.

'_Maybe explanations aren't needed'_ was the one thought going through Kai's mind. Ray had been there for his friend more times than he could count when Kai needed a shoulder to cry on, no questions asked. Maybe it was finally Kai's turn to be able to repay all of Ray's kindness.

He didn't understand how Mariah was able to hurt Ray so badly though. In all honesty, it had appeared as if Ray hadn't cared very much for their relationship. Kai assumed that the boy would have been much happier once they finally split up, but clearly he didn't know Ray as well as he thought he did.

More and more tears were flowing from Ray's eyes as his sobs got a little louder. Kai stroked his hair in a soothing manner and brought them both down into a lying position. It didn't appear as if the tears would be stopping any time soon and Kai thought it would be the best chance that Ray was going to have of getting some rest if they lied down. He wasn't one for soothing words like Ray was, but he hoped his presence and gently stroking Ray's hair would be enough to eventually calm him down.

After a few minutes of lying down, the sobs turned to whimpers and eventually to light sniffles. The smaller boy continued to tightly hug Kai's body to himself, never daring to speak. It felt like hours had passed as Kai continued to stroke his teammate's hair, enjoying the soft noise of enjoyment that Ray was emitting.

Ray finally removed his head from Kai's shoulder and looked into the other boys dark crimson eyes, eyes that were burning with something Ray had never seen in them. Within that instant that their eyes connected, something sparked between them.

Ray's soft golden eyes turned playful as he smirked, moving the arm that had been wrapped around Kai's waist so that his hand was positioned on the boys hip, slowly slipping his hand under the hem of the shirt. He instantly felt Kai's muscles tense as they continued to stare into each other's eyes. Ray's smirk grew as he lightly traced his fingers up and down Kai's side and back, causing shivers from the other.

Kai's mind was racing a mile a minute, but he couldn't complete a single train of thought. What was happening? And even more important, _why_ was it happening? Didn't Ray just spend the last few hours crying over Mariah? Was he trying to use Kai as a rebound? Did he think it was amusing that he was getting such reactions from his captain? Was he going to laugh and joke about it later?

...was he going to turn around and shatter Kai's heart any minute now?...

It hit him like a brick wall. Kai knew then, he understood at that very moment everything that he had ever been missing. He understood why when everything went wrong he ran to Ray, and why the amber eyed boy was the only one who could make the empty hole in his chest feel alive and whole again. He hadn't looked at the boy in any other way than his best friend, but as soon as he did, it all made perfect sense.

His heart still hurt immensely from being betrayed, but he realized something at that moment; he trusted Ray. Raymond Kon, the boy who hours before had had a girlfriend who just left him. The boy who had many sleepless nights in order to comfort and console Kai. The one person that Kai could call a true friend, his best friend even. The boy who seemed to be getting closer and closer. All of these things were ways in which he could describe Ray, but he preferred the first realization he had stumbled upon the most.

Ray was.. The boy he cared for more than anything else.

He couldn't be quite sure if it was 'love' that he felt for the boy, but he knew that his heart felt empty when Ray wasn't around. The pain Tala had left him with wasn't completely diminished, but he knew that if he was willing to let it go in order to let someone in, it would eventually get there. He already trusted Ray more than he swore he'd ever trust someone again, maybe Ray was worth taking the risk for.

Only time would tell, but they both had a strong feeling that the long road they had taken to find each other would soon prove to be worth it.

_**Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars,**_

_**Pointing me on my way, into your loving arms.**_

The fiery passion in Kai's eyes turned to something soft and tender as he leaned in slightly and pushed his lips against the lips of the only person who he wanted to be waiting for him at the end of the tough journey he had gone through.

_**This much I know is true..**_

_**That God blessed that broken road,**_

_**That led me straight to you**_

_**

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End

A/N- Sorry if the ending was a little rushed, or just stupid, I always find it hard to end these things without being a complete fan girl and making them confess their undying love for each other.

Remember, it's a FanFiction crime to read and not review :)


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